The patent is directed to a pneumatic toy projectile launcher, and more particularly to a liquid-filled pressure gauge for indicating the amount of air pressure built up in a pneumatic toy projectile launcher.
Various pneumatic toy projectile launchers have been previously described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,107 to Kelly discloses a ball pitching system comprising a pneumatically actuated pitching arm and automatic ball feed system. The pneumatic actuation is provided by an automatic pressure sensor valve. Compressed air is provided by a DC compressor affixed to the frame of the pitching apparatus and may be powered by a conventional 12 volt vehicular battery system. In this manner the preselected pitching of baseballs and the like along a predefined trajectory can be provided at remote locations away from conventional automotive electrical supply. A pressure gauge is disposed on a hollow frame section for monitoring the operation of the ball pitching system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,726 to Wood discloses a pneumatic driven ball thrower employing a pressurized gas to move a piston and connecting rod against a ball at rapid velocity to move the ball a pre-determined velocity. The pressurized gas ram at a pre-determined amount of pressurized gas in a very brief period of time to rapidly accelerate the piston and rod. The device employs a pressurized gas reservoir in proximity to the pressurized gas ram employing a valve with a large gas passage which opens rapidly permitting rapid passage of the pressurized gas from the gas reservoir to the pressurized gas ram. The housing assembly of the ball thrower has a hand grip, a three-way valve with an inlet port and an exhaust port, a trigger and a gas pressure gauge.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a pressure gauge for a pneumatic toy gun that may include a bottom flange having an inlet, an outlet, an orifice, a resilient bladder, and an upper housing having a hollow interior wherein the inlet, the outlet and the orifice are in fluid communication with each other. The upper housing may be connected to the bottom flange with the bladder being disposed between the upper housing and the bottom flange, and with the orifice of the bottom flange being disposed proximate a surface of the bladder. The bladder may be affixed to the bottom flange to form an air-tight seal between the surface of the bladder and the bottom flange such that compressed air in the bottom flange imparts force on the surface of the bladder to deflect the bladder into the interior of the upper housing. The bladder may further be affixed to the upper housing to form an air-tight seal between the opposite surface of the bladder and the upper housing.
The pressure gauge may further include a transparent tube connected to an end of the upper housing opposite the bottom flange and bladder with the tube being in fluid communication with the hollow interior of the upper portion and being affixed to the upper portion to form an air-tight seal between the transparent tube and upper portion, and a cap connected to an end of the transparent tube opposite the upper portion with the cap being affixed to the transparent tube to form an air-tight seal between the transparent tube and upper portion. The pressure gauge may include a fluid retentively disposed within a cavity defined by the bladder, the upper portion, the transparent tube and the cap, with the volume of the fluid in the cavity being less than the volume of the cavity formed by the bladder, the upper portion, the transparent tube and the cap.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a pneumatic toy gun which may include a cylinder having an open end and an outlet, a piston disposed within the open end of the cylinder, and a valve having a valve inlet and a discharge outlet. The valve may have a normal position wherein the discharge outlet is sealed to prevent the flow of air through the discharge outlet, and an open position wherein the discharge outlet is unsealed to permit the flow of air through the discharge outlet, with the outlet of the cylinder being in fluid communication with the valve inlet The pneumatic toy gun may further include a pressure gauge in fluid communication with the outlet of the cylinder and the valve inlet, with the pressure gauge having a cavity with a fluid disposed therein, and the cavity having a transparent portion through which the fluid is visible. Movement of the piston within the cylinder compresses air in the cylinder and the valve to increase the air pressure therein, and the amount of the fluid visible through the transparent portion of the pressure gauge may be proportional to the air pressure in the cylinder and the valve.
In a further aspect, the present invention is directed to a pressure gauge for a pneumatic toy gun having a pressurizing mechanism for compressing air within the pneumatic toy gun. The pressure gauge may include an enclosed housing forming a cavity wherein the interior of the cavity may be isolated from the ambient environment. The enclosed housing may comprise a transparent portion and a movable portion, such as a resilient bladder or sliding piston, in fluid communication with the pressurizing mechanism of the pneumatic toy gun, with the movable portion being adapted to move into the cavity of the enclosed housing by an amount proportional to a force applied to the movable portion by the compressed air within the pneumatic toy gun. The pressure gauge may further include a fluid disposed within the cavity of the enclosed portion, wherein the amount of the fluid visible in the transparent portion may be proportional to the movement of the movable portion under the force of the compressed air.
Additional aspects of the invention are defined by the claims of this patent.